The present invention relates to coatings for surfaces and applying coatings to surfaces, particularly antimicrobial coatings that may be applied to surfaces.
People have long been concerned with protecting themselves from microbes that cause disease, infection, and the growth of bacteria and mold. Making products with antimicrobial additives helps increase protection from microbes. Products containing antimicrobial additives are currently in abundance on the shelves of stores and in consumers' homes, including soaps, lotions, and air fresheners/disinfectants. Such products are used to clean surfaces that may have microbes on them, which offers some protective benefits but does not prevent the microbes from returning. In the field of healthcare, medical devices and dental instruments, as well as various surgical implants, are made with antimicrobial additives to product against the spread of germs and infection. These devices are themselves impervious to microbes. To protect surfaces in the same way, it would be possible to replace the surface entirely, with a new surface that includes antimicrobial additives. However, replacement can be very costly and is not possible in all cases. For example, though costly, it is relatively easy to replace a door or a countertop; it is harder or impossible to replace a wall of a building. Thus, a way of protecting surfaces from microbes that does not require replacing the surface is desirable.